First Dance
by shellebelle
Summary: Follows 'Box of Rain'. Fifth year Yule Ball ficlet. Probably going to be AU, but you never know...


First Dance

A Harry/Ginny Ficlet

By shellebelle

_Author's Note:  Some bits of this story(especially the beginning and the ending)  will make more sense if you read my story "Box of Rain" first.  You can find it here:_  

"Ginny's not going with anyone.  She's going alone," Ron said.  "I'm glad, too…I nearly slugged Neville last year."

Harry thought he was being a tad unreasonable.  He thought Ginny could take care of herself just fine…and Neville wouldn't hurt a fly, much less Ron's sister.  

Hermione said, "Honestly, Ron, how is the girl supposed to date with you hovering over her like that?"

Ron shuddered.  "I don't want to think about it."

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked at Harry, as if to say, _Can you believe him?_  He shrugged in return.  Harry himself wasn't going with anyone, either.  There was just no one he really cared to ask, and he wasn't going to pretend to be interested in someone just to have a date.  He'd go to the feast, and probably cut out soon afterwards.  He sighed.  He _had actually been thinking vaguely of asking Ginny, until Ron's comment.  Since her unexpected visit at the beginning of this past summer, she had often been on his mind.  He had found out precious little about her, and he felt nervous about talking to her, with Ron so protective.  The last thing he needed was to have his best friend angry with him._

It was going to be weird enough with Ron and Hermione…together.  Sure, he'd seen it coming, but it was still strange.  He didn't _quite_ feel like a third wheel, but some of the ways they looked at each other made him feel…left out.  He didn't begrudge them that…it was better than them hating each other.  And him in the middle, again.

That night, as Harry lay in bed, he looked over at the box beside him on his table.  He had often wondered how exactly Ginny had made it…how had she made it so that he always felt his mother standing beside him, listening when he opened it?  He'd looked up the charm himself when he'd gotten back to Hogwarts, but was no closer to understanding it.  He had been impressed with the difficulty of it, and how long it had taken her to make, and wondered where she had gotten something of his mother's to charm…

Harry yawned.  Maybe someday, he'd ask her how she had done it…

*******************************************************

"Do you think she'll show up?" Ron asked worriedly for what seemed to be the fifth time.

"Of course she'll show up!  It's not like she can run away, you know."  Harry was a little amused by Ron's predicament. _He's known her **how** many years and now he's nervous about seeing her?_  He grinned at Ron in his new navy blue dress robes.  _Definitely better than last year, he thought with satisfaction.  Harry was wearing his robes from last year, which Mrs. Weasley had very graciously let down for him.  Harry looked at the clock nonchalantly.  "Um, Ron…in about thirty seconds, you're going to be officially late."_

Ron yelped and hurried to the door.  "You coming, Harry?"

"I'll see you there. _ I don't have a date…I'm taking my time."  He grinned as Ron hurried down the stairs.  He didn't think Ron would be in trouble at all._

When Harry finally arrived at the feast, Ron and Hermione were sitting next to each other talking (and arguing) as normal.  Harry grinned and relaxed.  This might not be so uncomfortable after all.

The feast, as usual, was excellent.  Harry was feeling exceptionally relaxed and decided to stay and watch people dance.  They looked happy.  It was nice to see people happy at Christmas.  It reminded him of what he was fighting for.  Harry sighed.  Try as he might, there was no escaping the knowledge of what he was facing.  _I must meet it when it comes._  He had been saying that phrase over and over to himself, seemingly hundreds of times a day.  He felt the tension coming back to his shoulders and he resigned himself to going back early…

A lighthearted laugh startled him.  He turned to look at where the laugh came from and saw a group of girls sitting at a table, whispering and giggling.  He grinned.  At least _they_ seemed happy…and right along side those girls was Ginny Weasley.  _Was_ that Ginny?  Harry blinked.

She was wearing a cream colored dress robe of some heavy, luxurious material.  The neckline was a little lower than he was used to seeing on her and he hadn't realized her skin was so…so…  Harry closed his mouth.  Her hair was pulled up, but yes, it was the same Weasley-red hair he'd seen every year since she was ten and running alongside the Hogwarts' Express…  He could see her eyes as she talked to the girl beside her.  Her eyes were dancing and happy.  But as he watched, he saw a shadow cross her face, as if she'd just remembered something unpleasant.  For a few fleeting moments, she looked frightened, truly frightened.  Then, she shook herself and seemed to grab her fleeing happiness and clutch it back to her, tossing aside that momentary shadow.

_How does she **do** that?_ He wondered.  It was as if she were tossing aside a cloak she didn't wish to put on.  He wished he could toss aside his own sorrow so easily.  He sighed and turned back to watch the others dance for a few moments, but after a second or two, his eyes strayed back to where Ginny was.  _Harry, you prat, ask her to dance!_  He swallowed hard.  He really did want to.  He realized he had watched her for a good fifteen minutes.  _She's so pretty._  But it was more than prettiness…it was _Ginny.  Harry blushed.  _Ask her.__

Harry took a deep breath and stood up.  He felt as if the bones in his legs had been replaced with rubber, and he hoped he didn't look ridiculous.  As he approached, one of the other girls, Jeannette, he thought, caught sight of him and whispered to Ginny, who turned her head to see him.  She lit up at the sight of him as she always seemed to, but her smile had changed, Harry noticed.  It was no longer an uncertain _oh-dear-its-Harry-I-hope-I-don't-do-anything-stupid_ smile…it was more like an _oh-Harry-its-**you**-how-wonderful-to-see-you_ smile.  It lit her whole face up like a Christmas tree.  He smiled back at her.  "Would you…like to dance with me?"

"I'd love to," she said, and took his outstretched hand.

Harry led Ginny to the dance floor, turned to her and put one hand on her waist and held her hand in his other hand. _Ron is going to kill me._  He kept a formal distance between them, but Ginny didn't seem to mind.  She put her other hand flat against his chest just below his shoulder.  He realized then that he had completely and utterly forgotten how to dance.  _She is just so… distracting._  She smiled up at him.  "One-two-three," she whispered, and he grinned back at her.  "Thanks," he said.  They began to dance and he said sheepishly, "I'm afraid I'm not very good."

"Nonsense.  You just need practice," she said softly.  She laughed.  "Ron has been practicing with me all week.  You can see he has improved over last year."  She looked up at him, a little anxiously.  "You won't tell him I told you that will you?"

"Of course not."  Laughing with her was nice.  Her hand fitted so well into his palm, and her skin was so soft.  He ran his thumb over the skin of her hand.  "You look really nice tonight, Ginny."  

"Thank you.  The dress was a lucky break; one of the girls in my dorm had a growth spurt and couldn't wear it."

_Why did you not come with someone?_ He wanted to ask, but kept silent.  That was not his business.  He looked down at her face.  Her eyes were downcast. _Her eyelashes are so long.  Distracting._  He really wanted to pull her a little closer...

"How was…how was your summer?" Ginny asked, a little timidly.

_That's usually asked before December,_ he thought vaguely, before he caught her meaning.  "It really helped, Ginny.  More than you can possibly know."  His voice was a little rough, but he refused to be embarrassed.  _I want her to know how much the Box of Rain meant to me…**still means to me.**_

"I'm glad," she said, looking up into his eyes.

Harry pulled her a little closer, his hand reaching the small of her back, her hand now resting on his shoulder.  This close, he could smell her hair.  She smelled nice, warm and sweet.  He took a deep breath.  _She's your best friend's **sister**, and he's going to **kill** you!_  Hang that.  They were just _dancing, for goodness' sake.  _Damn, the song is almost over._  He looked down at her again, but she was hiding her face, and she had turned pale.  "What is it?" he asked, as the music came to a stop._

"Malfoy.  I hate it when he looks at me."  Her face was tense and her mouth was pressed into a hard line.

The back of Harry's neck got hot, but he stayed calm.  "Well, then we can't have that, can we?  Will you come with me?"  He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her onto the terrace overlooking the Rose Garden.  "Now, he cannot see you at all.  Not unless he really tries, and I think Pansy would have his hide if he did."  Harry grinned and looked at her.  She was smiling again and the color had come back to her cheeks.  He missed the feel of her hand in his, but he kept his hands on the windowsill he was leaning against.  _Don't press your luck, Potter._

She rolled her eyes.  "Amazing she can put up with that idiot for more than five minutes without boxing his ears."  Her hands were clasped lightly in front of her, and he wondered when she had become so at ease with him.  _And when did I start being so…flustered with her?_

"Please.  They're _made_ for each other."  Harry said with a snort.

"Like my brother and Hermione?" asked Ginny slyly.

Harry laughed.  "Your brother and Hermione have been at each other's throats since the day they met.  Kind of a strange courtship, isn't it?"

"Who my brother loves, he fights with.  Fought with you a number of times, hasn't he?"

"I suppose.  He must love Hermione an _awful lot, then.  Did you two fight a lot, then?  When you were younger?"_

"Occasionally.  I tend to not like to fight too much."  She smiled softly.  "I'm too much like Dad."

"Are you crazy about plugs, too?" he asked playfully.

Ginny laughed.  "No, but I'm crazy about him…"

"Yeah…I like that about your family.  You all love each other, even when you fight."  That old sadness was coming in again, and he was beginning to feel he should leave and be alone somewhere…

"Harry," Ginny said abruptly, "Will you tell me about your first Quidditch match?"

He blinked at her, his sadness forgotten.  "Ron _must have told you about that…"_

"But I'd like to hear _you tell it."  She leaned back against the wall next to him.  "Please?"  She looked up at him and his heart melted at the beauty of her eyes._

He smiled crookedly and began to tell the story.  He would normally tell a bare-bones account, but Ginny drew things out of him he really had never told before:  That sinking feeling in his stomach right before they came onto the pitch, the excitement of avoiding the Bludgers, of trying to stay on a wildly bucking broom, the fluttery feeling when he'd nearly swallowed the Snitch…Ginny was laughing at that.  "I can just _feel it when you tell it like that…it must have been like swallowing a hummingbird."_

"I wouldn't know…I've never swallowed a hummingbird."  He grinned at her and noticed that it was nearing midnight.  "One last dance, Ginny?"

She blushed.  "Thank you, Harry."  He took her hand and drew her closer than he'd previously dared to.  Her hand was on his neck, her fingers touching his hair, and he wondered if she could feel how hot his neck had gotten.  His arm was completely around her waist.  _She is so soft…_ His heart felt as if it would beat completely out of his ribcage.  _Control, Potter.__  She's your best friend's sister…and he is going to kill you._  He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing down.  When he opened his eyes again, she was looking up at him.  The smile on her face was different again; it filled her eyes and communicated through her touch.  It said _I-love-you-and-I-don't-care-who-knows-it_.

He danced with her until the song ended, and then he held her away from himself.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ron returning to their table, and he knew he couldn't kiss her, not without risking his seeing them.  He wasn't quite sure what to say to her, and he let her hands go.

"So…what are you two doing?"  Ron was coming up to them, and he looked a little suspicious.  Hermione was following him, and she looked rather amused.

Harry found he could not speak, but Ginny said brightly, "Oh, we were just keeping each other company.  Since you and Hermione were…otherwise occupied.  I must say, I don't think I annoyed him _too_ much, did I Harry?"

"No," Harry managed to say, relieved that she had spoken up.  His heart was still in his throat.

"Will you walk me back to the Tower, Harry?  Malfoy is still making me a bit nervous."  She looked up at him, as if trying to look as if she really _needed_ him to walk her back.

He grinned at her.  "Okay, Ginny.  I'll see you back at the dormitory, Ron."

Harry noticed that Hermione looked very satisfied, and she winked at him.  _Oh, she's just loving this.  Hopefully, she can keep Ron here for just a little while._

When they got to Gryffindor Tower, the common room was deserted.  Harry really didn't want to let this evening end—it was so lovely just to be with her.  "Will you—will you sit with me a bit?"

She smiled at him.  "All right," she said softly.

They sat down next to each other and Harry put his arm around her shoulders.  He was a little surprised when she moved closer and cuddled into his side.  She rested her cheek against his chest and put her arms around him.  "Harry, could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did the Dursleys ever…hurt you?  I mean, physically?"

"You know…no one has ever asked me that question before.  But no.  They just pretend I'm not there, mostly.  They hardly ever lay hold of me for any reason except to shove me back into my…room."

She lifted her head to look at him.  "I wanted to hex them into next year, you know."

He grinned at her.  "Yeah…I could kind of see that."  He touched her face and was mildly surprised that her skin was so soft.  There were little flecks of gold in her brown eyes.  He cupped her cheek with his hand and whispered, "Ginny, could I…"

"Yes."

Harry drew her closer, and he could feel her breath on his mouth in the moments before he brushed his lips gently over hers.  Her mouth was soft, and he could feel her trembling.  His fingers bumped into her soft knot of hair, sending it askew.

"Sorry," Harry said breathlessly.  "I'm clumsy…"

"Hush," Ginny breathed, and she kissed the corner of his mouth.  "We just need practice.  It was wonderful."

"Oh," he said.  "Could I kiss you again, then?"

She nodded, and he pulled her gently to him.  He put both his hands around the back of her head and kissed her again.  Somehow, his mouth seemed to know a bit better what to do, and what _she_ was doing made him dizzy.

He put his forehead against hers.  "Where did you learn to do that?"

"From you," she said simply.  "You are teaching me everything I know."  She reached up and removed his glasses, then kissed his eyelids.  Harry's breath caught in his throat.  Their lips met again, and he felt her lips part slightly.  He wasn't quite sure of what he was doing, but it definitely felt nice.

She looked a bit dazed when he looked at her again.  Her hair was coming down out of its elegant loose bun, and strands of her hair were hanging in her eyes.  Harry pushed her hair out of her eyes.  "I'm afraid your hair is a bit of a wreck," he murmured.

She shrugged, then reached up and pulled the pins out, shaking her hair down.  Harry stroked his fingers through it, and it fell in smooth waves over her shoulders.  He _really_ wanted to kiss her some more, but… "Ginny, where are my glasses?"

Ginny put them back on his face carefully.  Harry looked at his watch.  "The ball will be over in about a half-hour."

She sighed.  "And it was such a _lovely_ ball too."  She snuggled back against him, and he sat back, relaxing.

"Your brother would kill us if he knew what we were doing."

"So we won't do that in front of him."  She shivered as Harry traced the line of her neck and shoulder with a light finger.  Gently, she pushed his finger away.  "You keep doing that, sir, and I won't be held responsible for my actions."

"Um…sorry." But Harry was grinning, and he didn't look sorry at all.  He bit his lip, then.  "You won't have to worry about…you know…"  Harry blushed.

"Harry, are you trying to tell me you wouldn't take advantage of me?"

He nodded, relieved.

"And what, pray tell, makes you think I'd _let_ you take advantage of me, Harry Potter?"  She put her arms around him and looked into his eyes.  "I'd hex you into next week," she said softly, kissing him one more time.  "But for now, we'd better stop.  All we need now is for my brother to come in and catch us kissing on the common room sofa."

He nodded, although he would have taken any beating Ron would have dealt him quite happily at that moment.  "So…how should we handle this?  I don't want to keep it a secret."

"Let's just start slowly.  Let him figure it out for himself.  He might get mad for a bit, but I'll knock some sense into him."  She smiled.  "But seriously, Harry…he'll get used to the idea eventually.  We just can't start abruptly start snogging in front of him, that's all."

Harry nodded, laughing.  "That sounds sensible."  The other students were beginning to trickle back from the Ball, and he smiled.  "Until tomorrow, Ginny?"

She smiled.  "Good night, Harry."  His eyes followed her up the stairs, until she was out of sight.  _I have got to tell someone about this…_

Later that night, when he was sure Ron was asleep, Harry drew the curtains and took out the small purple box that Ginny had made for him and opened the lid.  The sound of the gentle patter of rain washed over him, and then he heard his mother's voice.

_Yes, darling?_

"You know Ginny Weasley?"  He was talking in a whisper, so Ron wouldn't hear him.

_She's a lovely girl.  She cares for you a great deal._

"I danced with her tonight.  And we talked."

_And?_

"She's wonderful, Mum.  I just wish…I wish she could be safe, so I could think…"

_Patience, Harry.  These are troubling times._

"I think…I think I'm in love."

_Double patience, then.__  You are both very young._  

Harry sighed.  "I know.  And she's worth it."

_Be patient, then.  If it is meant to be, it will happen. It sounds like the two of you had a lovely time._

Harry grinned.  "We did.  I had the nicest time, and I never thought…"

_It's times like this when I wish I was more than just a memory, Harry.  I'm only glad that when Ginny made this box, I got to meet her.  She's truly lovely, and I'm sure she looked wonderful tonight._

"She did, Mum."  Harry yawned.  "I'm really sleepy, I think I'll go to bed."

_Good night, love.  Sweet dreams, Harry._

FIN


End file.
